What Are Clinical Trials?
Why Are Clinical Trials Important?
Clinical
trials, also called cancer treatment or research studies, test new
treatments in people with cancer. The goal of this research is to find better
ways to treat cancer and help cancer patients. Clinical trials test many types
of treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy,
new combinations of treatments, or new methods such as gene therapy.
A clinical trial is one of the final stages of a long and careful cancer
research process. The search for new treatments begins in the laboratory, where
scientists first develop and test new ideas. If an approach seems promising,
the next step may be testing a treatment in animals to see how it affects
cancer in a living being and whether it has harmful effects. Of course,
treatments that work well in the lab or in animals do not always work well in
people. Studies are done with cancer patients to find out whether promising
treatments are safe and effective.
Clinical trials are important in two ways.
First, cancer affects us all, whether we have it, care about someone who does,
or worry about getting it in the future. Clinical trials contribute to
knowledge and progress against cancer. If a new treatment proves effective in a
study, it may become a new
standard treatment that can help many patients. Many of
today's most effective standard treatments are based on previous study results.
Examples include treatments for breast, colon, rectal, and childhood cancers.
Clinical trials may also answer important scientific questions and suggest
future research directions. Because of progress made through clinical trials,
many people treated for cancer are now living longer.
Second, the patients who take part may be helped personally by the treatment(s)
they receive. They get up-to-date care from cancer experts, and they receive
either a new treatment being tested or the best available standard treatment
for their cancer. Of course, there is no guarantee that a new treatment being
tested or a standard treatment will produce good results. New treatments also
may have unknown risks. But if a new treatment proves effective or more
effective than standard treatment, study patients who receive it may be among
the first to benefit. Some patients receive only standard treatment and benefit
from it.
In the past, clinical trials were sometimes seen as a last resort for people who
had no other treatment choices. Today, patients with common cancers often
choose to receive their first treatment in a clinical trial.
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